Memories & Retributions
by vigaku
Summary: Sequel to Stranded. - kaixhilary,het,fluff - work in progress
1. Hiding Things

It's been three months since Kai and Hiromi were stranded on an island after their boat to the Russian Beyblade Tournament capsized, and the evil scientist Boris tried to conduct his insane experiments on the two. Thankfully, they were whisked away by a rescue helicopter that happened upon them. After the close circumstances forced them to reveal their hidden feelings for one another, their relationship is already in danger of becoming inexistent. So what's going on?

Warnings: violence, character death, EXTREME FLUFF AND CHEESE! Scared? Then click the back button. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or its characters.

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CHAPTER ONE: HIDING THINGS  


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"Hiromi..?" 

A shrill voice interrupted the brunette's thoughts, and she looked up instinctively at the frail-looking grey haired woman now standing directly in front of her desk.

"Yes, ma'am?"

It was times like these that I wished I was still the perfect student I used to be. Lately, I was practically a walking detention. In the last three days I'd gotten myself more detentions than ever before in my life. I had a newfound tendency to drift off into daydreams, sometimes fantasies, and sometimes just anything to dispel my boredom.

"Do my lessons bore you, Miss Natsume?" She inquired, a slender eyebrow raised.

I kept my gaze on the desk in front of me, not wanting to look at her horrible face. Her hair was held back in a bun so tight that it pulled back all of her facial features. Despite this, deep wrinkles framed her eyes and mouth, which was commonly tightly pursed, in a lemon-sucking sort of way. Did she want me to be truthful? No, it wouldn't be a good idea to tell her that I find her lessons so boring that they almost put me to sleep. Aside from the torment I would get from most of my class members, and the death-glare from Mrs Iwasaki, it would be my third detention of the week.

"No, ma'am, they don't."

"Then I would very much appreciate if you were to listen to what I am trying to teach you, rather than catching up on your sleep during my lessons. Heaven knows what you get up to, to make yourself so tired!"

The class erupted in a fit of giggles and whispers, but I kept my gaze on the desk, resisting the growing urge to glare at everybody, especially her.

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again." Came my half-hearted apology through clenched teeth.

The second the bell rang, signalling the end of class, and people started to shove things into their bags, picking up their belongings to quickly leave the room. A few gossip-mongers stayed, anxious to see whether or not I'd get any punishment from the evil Japanese Literature teacher. But much to _their_ dismay, I'd already left the room before she could speak another word.

I sighed, closing my eyes and leaned back against my locker. _This is going to be a long day..._ More than anything, I was happy to have gotten out of the room without another detention to add to my list. _Gotta pull it together! My grades are slipping, after seventeen years as a perfect student. What's wrong with me?_

I jumped slightly, my eyes springing open when I felt a hand on my shoulder, "Hey."

I knew it was only Kai before my hazel eyes met his crimson gaze, but still he'd managed to give me a start. I gave a weak smile and he planted a kiss on my cheek, "You okay?" He asked, his expression worried.

"Never better," I lied with a rather unenthusiastic nod.

It wasn't surprising that Kai didn't believe my answer, but I really didn't think I was so transparent, "What is it?"

"Hey, are you lovebirds coming or what?" Max all but whispered as he bounded down the hall, closely followed by Rei and Takao.

_Or what... _I thought, but doing little to voice my opinions. I would've preferred some time on my own, to think about things, but the way everyone – including myself – had been lately, the only way I'd get that through to them would be to yell obscenities at them until they left me alone.

Over the last few months, I'd started spacing out when anyone talked to me, denying help when they asked me if I was alright... I didn't know what to tell them. They'd probably think it was stupid, just being depressed without any reason at all...

Pushing my thoughts aside, I let out a long sigh and headed for the cafeteria, barely noticing when Kai didn't follow. I didn't see the hurt look in his eyes, or the confused frown that followed. What would I have done, if I did see? Would I comfort him? Would I tell him I'm fine, even though it'd be a lie? Yeah, I probably would.

He soon caught up anyway, his stoic mask back in place as we entered the bustling hall. As was routine, Kai and I were soon offered a queue-jump, thanks to Kai's ever-present popularity. I was about to seize a jam-roly-poly when shouts and cheers brewed up somewhere behind me. Turning my head to peer through the crowds, I wasn't so surprised to see Kai in the center of the crowd. What _was_ mildly irking was the trail of food down his shirt, and the firm grip he had on the opposing guy's collar. _Great._

"Hey, can you hold this..?" I more ordered than asked as I handed my tray to the closest person and pushed through the crowd, planning to intervene before Kai could do any damage. Though, a simple death-glare from the bluenette was enough to make anyone cringe.

I watched in horror as Kai clenched his other hand into a fist.

"I-I'm sorry! I d-didn't mean to! S-sorry!" He pleaded, the desperation in his voice apparent.

"Kai..." I began in a bored tone, "Can you take me to the nurse's office, I'm not feeling too great." I put on my best fake-illness impression to accompany my second lie of the day.

His glare became a look of concern as his attention was redirected at me, "But--"

"I think I'm gonna..." I clasped my hand over my mouth, eyes widened for dramatic effect, and a few people stepped back slightly in fear of being vomited on.

He glanced at the crowds, some still staring at him, waiting for him to pummel the poor boy into oblivion, some now watching me, "...Alright." He let go of the boy, who gave me a grateful glance before scurrying off out of Kai's sight.

I held back a sigh of relief and let my hands drop by my sides. Most of the crowd had dispersed now, leaving the cafeteria evenly populated once again. I jumped a little when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. _Not another detention, please! I haven't even done anything!_ I turned cautiously to see the girl I'd dumped my lunch tray on. She held it out tentatively.

"Here..." She didn't look too impressed as I sheepishly took the tray from her.

"You're gonna eat that..?" Spinning around yet again, I faced Kai now.

I stared down at the food, "Uhm..."

"I thought you felt sick?" He raised an eyebrow.

"W-well, uh..."

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Reviews, comments, critiques, all appreciated! No flames though, please. 


	2. Dizzy From Reality

Hiromi is depressed, and Kai still doesn't know why. Does Hiromi herself even know?

I've been on mad editing sprees to improve my existing stories, but I feel I really screwed up on this one... So I won't bother editing it much, nor will I continue it past chapter 4 (which is already up). But, since I don't have too many stories, I'll still keep it up for anyone to read if they want to. :)

Warnings: violence, character death, EXTREME FLUFF AND CHEESE! Scared? Then click the back button. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or its characters.

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CHAPTER TWO: DIZZY FROM REALITY  


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"Well, it's understandable, I guess." Kori looked thoughtful, "I mean, you did sorta show him up in front of everybody." 

Since lunch, Kai hadn't spoken a word to me. He barely even gave me a nod if I asked him something. But then, he wasn't to blame, I knew that. My constant depressive moods were to blame. Or better yet, myself. If he was in a mood with me, I'd have to deal with it.

"I've gotta find some way to make it up to him." I mumbled, more to myself than the blonde sitting next to me.

Kori was the latest addition to the team. Over a bet, nonetheless. We made a deal that if she could beat Takao she could join. Of course, we didn't think she'd manage it, but she surprised us all. I was more an honorary member of the team. I didn't even blade, much like Kyouju. I was mostly there for moral support, and planning, and of course so that I could be with Kai more.

She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder."Maybe you should start by telling him how you feel. _Talk_ to him, Hiromi." She fixed me with a stern look and I stared down at the floor.

"Later. I... I need to think." I got to my feet and pulled open the door.

In a split second, Kori too was standing, "Where are you going?" She almost yelled.

"For a walk." I replied simply, wishing for an end to the conversation. I shut the door behind myself and ran down the stairs and out of the front door before she had chance to protest.

She didn't like me going out when it was dark. I'd gone for walks in the dark all the time before she joined the team, but since then she'd been very over-protective of everybody. She meant well, but it was kind of annoying... The guys thought so too. Okay, so talking behind someone's back is bad, but we weren't, exactly... We were thinking of a way to decide who would tell her...to stop being so protective of us, and that we could take care of ourselves.

I was already away from the street our house was on; it was no longer in view. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings though, and I already knew where I was going. The same place I went every time I needed time to think, alone. I reached a clearing at the edge of the woods and I ducked down to make my way into the winding forest: a place which had recently become very familiar to me.

I ducked and dodged the branches in my way, my mind set on its destination. I reflected a little on the past six months, since the desert island 'incident', becoming lost in my thoughts as I walked further into the forest.

Kai and I had been an item ever since that time, and as of two months ago, Takao and Kori were in a loving relationship. Takao made sure the world knew of it, too. Of course, Kai was rather against public relationships, so we tend to keep our emotions to ourselves. Lately, though, Kai didn't seem to care. I knew he was only acting that way to try and make me feel better, but consequently that only made me feel worse.

I was shaken from my thoughts by voices and laughter, in the exact direction I was headed. I took a hesitant step forward, glancing through the bushes in my line of vision as best I could. _Probably just a bunch of stupid schoolboys... I could scare them away with just the mention of Kai's name._ My plan of action decided, I smirked, taking another step towards the sounds.

It wasn't schoolboys I saw, but a group of around ten men who all must have been at least in their early thirties. A hand clamped over my mouth, another around my waist and I felt someone's breath on the back of my neck. The stench of alcohol and cigarettes made me gag and the hand on my mouth pressed harder.

"No screamin', got it?"

Despite his vice-like grip, I managed to nod a little, murmuring a quiet 'Mm-hmm.' I didn't know what else to do, after all. To disagree with him would be risking my life. He pushed my forcefully through the bushes, using me as a shield as he ploughed on behind me, branches grazing my skin. I winced as he gave me a sharp push and I landed on the floor on my knees. They formed a circle around me, so I couldn't get away. Well, those who were sober enough to think so logically... I got to my feet, keeping my face as blank as I could force myself to, trying to act unfazed.

My legs were shaking, making it a little obvious that I was afraid. I'd be insane if I wasn't! Everyone's attention was focused on me. Normally, I loved to be the center of attention, but this was different. The looks they were giving me... It made me feel sick. I swallowed hard, stepping back when the man in front of me pulled out a blade.

He took a few menacing steps towards me, but then stopped, looking behind me confusedly. I frowned, wanting to turn around but fearing that the sight to greet me would be even worse. Aside from that, my limbs would not allow me to move. Given the chance to get away, I wasn't sure if I could.

"Keep a hold on her. Someone's over there, might be another one."

My eyes widened, _Do they wait here for people? For victims? What will they do to me..? _I yelped uncontrollably as someone grabbed me from behind, their hands clasped tightly around my waist. I brought up my heel to kick him in the shin, receiving only a grunt in reply. I felt a sudden sharp pain at the back of my head, and my vision faded to darkness...

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Wah, cliffy! Sorry, but it had to be done. Suspense is golden. Sorry also that Kai wasn't in that chapter. I'll make up for it, I promise! 


	3. You Are Not Alone

Poor Hiromi! What will she do now? And who was hiding in the bushes?

I'm sorry for the OC entry last chapter, and this one too... I hate OCs in other peoples stories, so when/if I edit this story, I'm thinking of switching her with Max.

Warnings: violence, character death, EXTREME FLUFF AND CHEESE! Scared? Then click the back button. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or its characters.

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CHAPTER THREE: NOT ALONE  


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I pounded my fist into the face of the man lying beneath me, again and again as his face became a bloody mess, his features lost among the crimson liquid, "You're gonna tell me where she is, or--" 

"I d-don't know!" He stammered. He held up his free hand, waving it in front of his face. I pushed his hand down by his side, refusing to allow him such defense from my fists. I pulled his head up by his hair, slamming it back down into the ground repeatedly, _One way or another..._

"Aaagh! Okay, okay!" He cried. He pointed somewhere over to me left and I smirked, standing up off the man and brushed the dust off my shirt. I knew that the man was too scared to lie to me - That a grown man was too scared to lie to a seventeen-year-old!

I turned to see Kori, glancing between me and the man with wide eyes, "Woooow, that was so fricken awesome, Kai!"

Disregarding her comment, I made my way through the bushes, pushing past the branches, unconcerned as they cut into my arms drawing trails of blood across them. I didn't turn back to see if Kori was following; her business was her own. It was then that I saw her, barely visible through the hoard of groping slurring drunken men. She didn't move; she didn't even appear to be conscious.

I lost all rational thought...

**Kori's POV**

I watched in awe as Kai took hold of one of the men by the arm, dragging him away from Hilary with a bone-shattering punch to his jaw. He took hold of him by his greasy matted hair and rammed his head into the tree trunk, then let go as the man fell to the floor.

Kai booted the next man in the side, following with a swift roundhouse to the face. He took no time in moving on, and all I saw was a man falling to the ground, clutching his side. Another ruffian stood up, towering about half a foot over Kai. He grinned sadistically as he flipped out a long, curved pocket knife, lunging at Kai with a loud growl. Kai tried to dodge, but the man was much faster than even I had anticipated for his size! Kai winced and warm blood started to drip from the new painful-looking gash in his arm, _I-I've gotta help! _Suddenly his look of anguish vanished and he rushed at the man, punching him in the stomach, then in the face. He stopped as the man smirked, wiping away the blood that was dripping from his nose.

My eyes widened as I noticed a figure charging at me - I'd been far too engrossed in Kai's battle! In a fleeting moment of logic, I grabbed hold of the man's arm and pushed him away from me. I kicked him harshly to the ground before he got the chance to turn himself around again and seemedly that was enough to send him unconscious, _Stupid drunks. _Between them, mostly on Kai's part, all that could be seen was a muddy forest floor littered with unconscious men. I looked back to Kai, still deep in his battle and knew that I was free to go and see to Hilary. I knelt down beside the brunette, holding my hand above her mouth, _Good, she's still breathing._ I jumped in shock as a body was sent flying past me with a loud 'thunk' as it connected with a tree trunk. I craned my head around in time to see Kai fall to the floor, breathing heavily...

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Ohnoes! I'm sorry that chapter was so short! My mind keeps going blank, and I had to get this part up.. 


	4. Inside Of The Sudden Light

Kai and Kori to the rescue! So they've saved Hiromi...but is she okay? Hiromi sees Kai's house for the first time, and a little plot pushing is introduced. This is pretty much a filler chapter; not much happens, but it's necessary.

Warnings: violence, character death, EXTREME FLUFF AND CHEESE! Scared? Then click the back button. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or its characters.

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CHAPTER FOUR: INSIDE OF THE SUDDEN LIGHT  


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Brown eyes opened slowly, blinking themselves into focus despite the searing headache that thudded at the girl's head. With an annoyed groan, she shut her eyes tightly and rolled - with more difficulty than expected - onto her stomach. It took her quite a while before she remembered what had happened and jolted up so fast that her head started to spin, throbbing harder as she forced herself into a sitting position. She cradled her head in her hands and opened her eyes just a little, to peek around. As she suspected, she had no idea where she was, _Did they kidnap me..?_ Suddenly more alert, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, taking a few shaky steps towards the exit of the room before she collapsed in a pile on the floor. Luckily for her, it was a plush white rug that broke her fall, and all that hurt was her head, still. _Ooow, what did they do to me?_ She thought morosely, wondering how on earth she allowed herself to get into this mess. Thoughts and questions spiralled in her mind until it was too much for her to take anymore. She blacked out and flopped down onto the rug with only so much as a soft "thud". 

When Hiromi felt herself wake to consciousness again, she decided she'd better be more careful. She pushed herself up slowly, and sure enough she was still in that same spot on the floor. She glanced to the window, noting that it was now considerably darker than when she'd first woken up in this foreign house. Her headache had ceased now but the dizziness remained. Deciding to make another effort of getting out, she carefully got to her feet and padded over to the door. _I don't care how many times I have to collapse along the way, but I will get out of here! _She told herself firmly before placing a hand on the cold silver doorknob and twisting it, heaving the door open and leaning against its frame for support as she glanced outside the room.

A corridor to the left and a corridor to the right, with a blank wall straight ahead. Things didn't look too good, _This place must be huge..._ Settling on taking the left route, she made her way down the blandly decorated corridor. Luckily for her, it seemed she'd chosen the right direction, because she came to a staircase leading down to the floor below. Sneaking as quietly as her legs allowed her to the edge of the top step, she took a quick glance around to make sure nobody was following her.

"Hey!"

She heard a voice and suddenly the world seemed to spin around her. It was only moments before she realised she'd fallen into someone's arms, and began to struggle desperately to get out of them before he had chance to do anything, "H-Hiromi, you're gonna--" In that split second it took for her to recognise that voice as her own boyfriend's, they were sent flying down the huge staircase, and landed not-too-graciously at the bottom.

"Ow..." Hiromi mumbled and rubbed her head, the headache now coming back. Her eyes flew open and she sat up, "Kai, I'm so..." She looked down, heat rushing to her face when she realised that she was actually sat on him, "S-sorry..?"

He blinked, "Are you okay?" He asked, obviously more concerned for Hiromi than himself, which must have meant that he was alright.

The brunette nodded and got to her feet, sitting down again on a step, "I...didn't know where I was and..." She trailed of, staring at the ground. She was far too embarrassed and guilty to look at Kai right now, so she settled for tracing the patterns on the carpet with her eyes. Suddenly, something occurred to her. Her eyes widened, "Wait, you live here?"

Kai nodded, seeming confused. In the time Hiromi had been lost in her emotions Kai had gotten to his feet and was now standing in front of her.

"Woah..." She breathed, unable to say anything else on the matter, _It's like a...a mansion or something! I mean, I knew he was rich, but this is... Wow._ She blushed harder, embarrassed once more at her own stupidity. Another thought occurred to her; she had no idea how on earth she'd gotten here from being in the woods surrounded by drunken groping men. She looked up at Kai again, who was staring back with a sort of nervous expression, "What happened? In... In the woods, I blacked out..."

Kai scratched the back of his neck and averted his gaze with a shrug, "Kori and I came to get you. I brought you back here, because I don't know...where you live."

Hiromi nodded in understanding and took once again to blushing, _I'm so pathetic... I was meant to be going for a walk, not getting molested._ She was interrupted from her musings by a loud crash of thunder. Her eyes widened almost impossibly and she resisted the urge to jump up and cling onto Kai for dear life. At least they were inside, and she knew that the lightning couldn't get to her, but somehow even that thought did little to comfort her.

Kai helped her to her feet and placed a comforting arm around her waist in a semi-hug. He knew, after all, how scared she was of thunderstorms, "Looks like you're staying here tonight." He told her, "You can try and call your mom if you want, but the signals could be down." She nodded weakly and he rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a small silver flip-phone, handing it to her. She took it, hands shaking and somehow managed to dial the numbers correctly before holding the small phone to her ear, but it was just as Kai had said.

"N-no signal." She confirmed and passed it back to him, almost dropping it as she jumped when the thunder sounded again.

"Hmm..." He took her hand and led her through some rooms until they reached a large, modernly-furnished kitchen, "If we put on some music it can drown out the sounds." He explained and reached across the table for a remote. As his thumb pressed down on the power button, an almighty crash sent light flooding through the house and then suddenly...darkness. Nothing but darkness and the odd flashes of lightning from outside, "Oh great, a power cut." He sighed deeply and looked at Hiromi, who didn't appear to be enjoying herself at all. She stood with her eyes clasped tightly shut, shuddering at every sound of thunder and Kai came to wonder how on earth the girl could be so scared of something so...natural. But then he knew that childhood fears were not the easiest to suppress, and there was probably some kind of reasoning behind her fear, not that he thought it wise to ask her; especially at such a time.

Kai's brow furrowed in thought as Hiromi struggled to regain her sense of...just about anything. She cleared her throat and started to speak, her tone jolting to a high pitch with every thunder crash, "M-maybe we should g-get some candles or something." She suggested and Kai nodded with a sympathetic look.

"Yeah, good idea." He fumbled around the kitchen a while, Hiromi following him around as closely as she could without them standing on each-other's toes. After a while, he seemed to have found what he was looking for, and pulled out some small candles from a drawer, along with a lighter. He began placing them around various places in the room, Hiromi forcing herself to stay put as he did so, and he lit them one by one as he put them down. Soon, the room was restored to some state of lightness and Hiromi breathed a sigh of relief. _At least that's not so bad... _She tried to convince herself but despite her thoughts it felt as though her heart was trying to break through her ribcage.

Their attention was redirected with the sound of banging and clashing from upstairs, _That wasn't thunder!_ Hiromi stated obviously in her mind, without the will to speak, and her comfort levels dropped back to zero. Kai glared up in the general direction of the noise before he looked at Hiromi in question, "Did you knock anything while you were up there?" He asked in contemplation, wondering if maybe something had just fallen off a surface, but his thought were dismissed with another, louder bang. Resuming his glare, he stepped towards the exit of the kitchen.

"W-wait! You're n-not gonna go up there, are you?" Hiromi asked, outraged but trying her best to keep her voice down, "It could be anybody! A-a murderer or something!"

Kai shrugged, "Whoever it is, they shouldn't be in my house." He glanced out of the door briefly and then back at Hiromi, "Look, why don't you just wait here, and I'll be right back, I promise. It's probably just...a cat or something." He tried to comfort her, but she didn't look very convinced.

"Wouldn't it be better just to call the police or something?" She proposed, but he didn't seem to be backing down.

"If I'm gone any longer than ten minutes, you call them, alright?" He told her with a smug smirk, "It's probably nothing, though." With that, he left a quaking brunette alone in the kitchen as he went to check out the noise. A little more banging had occurred while they were talking, but it didn't seem to be moving, though it had stopped now. He made his way back through some rooms to the staircase and walked up, clutching the banister as a means of direction and support. Everything was still near pitch black and if anything were to disorientate him, he didn't doubt that it would be his second time falling down those same stairs in one evening.

The sound seemed to be travelling now, and no matter where Kai went it seemed to be getting further away. It wasn't long before he'd searched all of the rooms upstairs, and something suddenly dawned on him. _Shit. They're downstairs._ All rational thought left him, and for a while he was stuck in the same, helpless position, unable to move from fear. Not for himself, but for Hiromi.

A familiar scream confirmed his suspicions and seemed to startle him back into reality. With more speed than should have been humanly possible, he sprinted down the stairs and to the kitchen as fast as his legs could possibly carry him.

"Hiromi!"

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Aren't I mean to you all? Haha, sorry! But I like writing cliffhangers. I said I'd get this chapter up soon(ish) and here it is! Now send me lots of nice (non-threatening) reviews please! 


	5. AUTHOR UPDATE

I'm sorry to say, but all of my stories are on hold for the time being. I have chapters to re-write and re-sort. Any of you with author alerts on this story, expect to get some emails because I'll be updating and merging chapters together. I never realised before just how short they are, and it's pointless updating so little at a time, I'm sure you agree.

Anyway, just to say, don't expect any updates in the near future. But if you can give me a note or an email just to let me know you're still reading that'd be great. Because I'm thinking of taking some of my WIP stories down; I know I won't finish all three.

-Vigaku-


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